WHEELING - Mounting job losses, billions in outstanding pension debt and other post-retirement benefits, and a booming Marcellus Shale natural gas industry - all are issues awaiting West Virginia's next governor when he or she takes office later this year.
West Virginia voters face an important decision May 14 when they head to the polls to select party nominees in a special primary election.
Eight Republicans and six Democrats are seeking the post.
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Local residents will have a chance to meet the candidates and hear from them on major issues facing the state during two separate debates this week, sponsored by The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register and West Virginia Northern Community College.
The Republican debate takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium at West Virginia Northern Community College B&O Building, and all candidates seeking the GOP nomination have been invited to attend.
Those on the ballot are state Sen. Clark Barnes of Randolph County; former Secretary of State Betty Ireland of Kanawha County; Putnam County Prosecutor Mark Sorsaia; former Delegate Larry Faircloth of Berkeley County; Delegate Mitch Carmichael of Jackson County; and Cliff Ellis, Ralph William Clark and Bill Maloney, all of Monongalia County.
The Democrat debate, meanwhile, takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, also at WVNCC. Seeking the nomination are a number of current state office holders - acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin of Logan County; House Speaker Rick Thompson of Wayne County; Secretary of State Natalie E. Tennant of Kanawha County; Treasurer John D. Perdue of Kanahwa County; and acting Senate President Jeffrey V. Kessler of Marshall County. Kanawha County resident Arne Moltis also is on the ballot.
Early voting in the special primary election starts Friday and runs through May 11.
Earlier this year, the West Virginia Supreme Court ordered the special election for governor after voters last year elected former Gov. Joe Manchin to the U.S. Senate seat previously occupied by the late Robert C. Byrd.
Manchin assumed his senate seat on Nov. 15, 2010, and the ruling further states the next elected governor must be seated one year to that date.
The general election for governor is set for Oct. 14, and whoever wins will serve out an unexpired term for governor that expires in late January 2013. This year's victor can run for election to a full four-year term in 2012, but can not run for re-election in 2016.
Issues Facing the Next Governor
A special session of the West Virginia Legislature to address the issues of state pension debt and the regulation of Marcellus shale is set for for May 16 - the Monday following the May 14 special primary election.
Work on legislation then and throughout the summer could help ease the burden before the next governor takes office, local lawmakers believe.
''Hopefully, there will be no issues left by then," said state Sen. Orphy Klempa, D-Ohio. "Hopefully, OPEB (the other post-employment benefits pension fund that has a liability of about $10 billion) and Marcellus Shale should be out of the way, and the new governor's role will be just making sure the state stays in sound condition.
"No matter what the candidates are saying, at the end of the day it's all about creating jobs. It always is.''
Klempa said voters need to make sure they elect a governor intent on maintaining the fiscal responsibility in the state ''that been in place since before Bob Wise'' became governor in 2000.
''And voters need to elect someone with vision - someone who can best move the state forward,'' he said. ''We have candidates who have been talking about their proposals for the future. If voters listen, there are some people out there talking about those things.''
Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, also believes the Marcellus Shale issue could be addressed by the time the next governor is sworn into office. But she is less optimistic the OPEB issue will be solved in the coming months.
''We're going to have a short-term governor, and he or she is going to have to start paying attention to the debt coming due in 2013,'' she said.
Storch also noted that West Virginia's next governor will be in charge and set the political climate for the 2012 presidential election.
''I hope our next governor is someone who shares our concerns for the state, for progressing it forward, and has the rational sense to deal with the issues,'' she said. ''We also need someone intent on helping us to use our Marcellus Shale resources wisely, and with economic responsibility.''
An Election ''Without Bark''
Robert Rupp, professor of history and politics at West Virginia Wesleyan College, is among those who don't expect a large turnout for the upcoming special primary election.
''It's a crowded race, but we're seeing one of the worst cases of voter fatigue,'' he said.
''It appears the state is tired of politics. Instead of the crowded candidate field encouraging voters, it is instead discouraging them.''
Rupp believes budget matters will be of central concern for West Virginia's next governor, as will issues pertaining to natural gas drilling.
And the issue of Marcellus Shale could be the one that divides the current Democrat candidates for governor, and ultimately decides the race, he continued.
Rupp pointed to Tomblin's recent statements that he wouldn't call a special session to consider legislation to regulate Marcellus drilling because there wasn't consensus among lawmakers on such a measure.
Tomblin's opponents, meanwhile, believe the legislature needs to act sooner rather than later on the matter.
''We have Tomblin seemingly at odds with the other candidates,'' Rupp said. ''He is the incumbent, and his motto is stability and maintaining the status quo. Perdue and Thompson want change.
''And Tennant doesn't need to talk about change. She's the fresh face in the race.''
He noted that the GOP ticket, meanwhile, seems bland and isn't inspiring much excitement among voters. He made note of ads for Maloney - the founder of a coal mine drilling company - featuring his dog, a 13-year-old golden retriever named Holly.
''Will Maloney be the Gaston Caperton of 2011 - when people again turned to a non-politician to do it?'' Rupp asked. ''This whole campaign is about the dog that didn't bark. There are a whole lot of candidates, but not much activity.
''We know the dog's name, but we don't know much about the candidates' platforms. When are we going to see the footage of (Maloney's) drills rescuing the miners in Chile?''
Rupp suggests this year's voter apathy could mean voters are looking instead to the 2012 election, which he believes could be a ''generational election'' that brings total change to the state.
He predicts many long-time state officeholders won't run next year, opening the doors to a new generation of leadership.
Despite the voter fatigue, an election for governor was needed this year in West Virginia, Rupp continued.
''I'm a believer no person should get power by appointment,'' he commented. ''I'm always in favor of an election, even for the short term. It's the only chance people have to have input.''